


Bloom in our heart's midwinter

by pigeonstatueconundrum



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Batman: The Animated Series
Genre: Christmas, F/F, supervillian pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-03
Updated: 2015-06-03
Packaged: 2018-04-02 17:37:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,567
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4068688
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pigeonstatueconundrum/pseuds/pigeonstatueconundrum
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One November night Harley waits for the Joker. And Ivy has always waited for Harley.</p><p>(Harley&Ivy One-shot)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bloom in our heart's midwinter

 

“Hiya Red. Watcha doin’?”

 

Ivy paused taking in the sight before her. Harley sat cheerfully handcuffed to the chair marooned in the middle of the abandoned warehouse. She grinned up at Ivy, teeth glowing in the distant lights from the harbour outside.  Outside a loud crash shook the foundations as a black shadow hit the wall at speed. It was nice to see that the Venus flytrap prototypes were working.

 

“I’m here to rescue you.” Ivy said, tentatively crossing the deserted concrete to Harley’s side. Eyes trained for anyone else guarding her friend. “I heard the Batman had you tied up here. I thought you were in danger.”

 

“Aww that’s sweet.” Harley grinned swinging her legs as Ivy knelt to free them, “but the Bats wasn’t interested in hurting me.”

 

“Ah.” Ivy untied the last knot, “You’re here for bait?”

 

“Yup.” Harley smiled craning her neck to inspect Ivy’s progress. “He wants to talk to Mister J.”

 

With a snap Harley was free. Ivy barely had a second to right herself before Harley leapt into her arms. “Not that I’m ever so grateful to ya for getting me loose.”

 

“Hmmm.” Ivy hummed, briefly allowing herself a quick press of her face into Harleys neck, “if you want to wait I could always tie you back up.”

 

Harley waggled her eyebrows. Ivy sighed and reluctantly dropped her friend to the ground. “You ready to blow this place? My sentries will only hold the Caped Crusader for so long.”

 

“Then let’s go.” Harley grabbed Ivy’s hand as they ran towards the unguarded exit.

 

From the top of the shadowed billboard for fertiliser they watched as Batman took down the last of Ivy’s flytraps.

“They’re good.” Harley pronounced popping a stick of bubble-gum she’d found in the depths of her recently retrieved purse.

 

“They need a little work.” Ivy countered her gaze critical at the remains of the battle, “But they were all I had ready with little notice.”

 

She stood motioning to Harley to follow, “We better go before the cops arrive?”

Harley hadn’t moved. Her eyes were still fixed on the warehouse, flicking to all the routes up to the door. She dragged her waiting gaze away, sheepishly looking up at Ivy.

 

“I’d better stay. Mister J might need me when he comes to get me.”

 

Ivy sighed impatiently, fingers smoothing distractedly on the moss growing in the crack of the billboard. He wasn’t coming. Not for her at any rate. Batman would have had a better chance of getting the Joker to come if he’d tied himself to a chair. But that wasn’t Harleys fault.

 

Ivy looked at the pathetic figure her friend struck, sitting shivering slightly in the November chill eye unwavering from their sentry over the factory. Ivy sighed.

 

“Want me to stay and wait with you?”

 

Harley’s grin was so grateful and innocent it turned the butterflies in Ivy’s stomach sour. She sat back down on the edge of the platform reaching out a cautious arm across Harley’s shoulders. Harley snuggled under without any reserve; face as sweet as a sunflower as it turned towards Ivy.

 

“Thanks Red. He won’t be long, you’ll see.”

 

Ivy made a non-committal noise and settled herself down more comfortably. It was going to be a long night.

 

The harbour lights sparked in Harleys eyes as turned back to her vigil. Ivy watched with her as Batman re-entered the warehouse. He was content, like Harley, to wait for the Joker too.

 

“How are Bud and Lou doing?” Ivy asked the small talk uneven against her tongue.

 

“They’re good. I think they miss you.” Harley replied, “You got anything big planned.”

 

“Christmas is coming up.” Ivy shrugged.

 

“Oh Christmas.” Harley said rapturously. “Oh oooh. What day you get?”

 

Ivy scoffed, “December 4th.”

 

“No fair.” Harley squealed offended on Ivy’s behalf.  “I thought you were bribing Penguin for a good day.”

 

“Yeah, that’s the problem with him being in charge of organising which villain attacks when during Christmas.” Ivy explained. “Everyone is bribing him.”

 

“Who got Christmas Eve then this year?” Harley asked.

 

Ivy rolled her eyes, “Dent.”

 

Harley wrinkled her nose, “Eww, really.”

 

“Yeah.” Ivy sighed, “I wouldn’t put it past him to have gotten Cobblepot to give me a bad day too.”

 

“He _still_ hasn’t forgiven you for poisoning him.” Harley said incredulously, eye wide.

 

“I know! Men are such babies.” Ivy bemoaned. She tightened her grip around Harley as a strong breeze promising winter blew across them. They sat in companionable silence as Ivy let herself be hypnotized by the rhythmic swish of Harley’s legs as she swung them listlessly.

 

“To tell you the truth I’m not feeling up to any grand scheme.” Ivy admitted, surprising herself with her own honesty.      

 

Harleys eyes were wide as saucers. “But it’s Christmas. That’s the best time for fighting the Bat. It’s traditional.” She insisted.

 

Ivy gave her hand a reassuring squeeze, “I know, I know baby girl. Just it’s not the same as it used to be.”

 

At Harley’s quizzical expression she continued, “You know some yazoo going to ignore the schedule and go off on the Bat. There used to be respect for the other villains in this city, you know.”

 

“Mister J has never done the schedule though.” Harley countered.

 

Ivy suppressed her eye role at Harley’s ‘boyfriends’ name. “That’s a given though, at this point. Who’s going to get him to follow it?”

 

Harley hummed her assent.

 

Ivy shifted closer, warming to her subject. It was nice to have a human audience instead of her plants. She loved her plants, obviously, but nothing could substitute for that little smile Harley got when Ivy started to rant like this.

 

“These new villains have no style. I mean when is the last time you heard a good pun?”

 

“Excuse you Pammy.”

 

“Not you.” Ivy grinned down at Harleys scowl. It was far too adorable, damn her. “You’re love of puns is unnatural.”

 

“I’m a regular pun stop shop me.” Harley smirked.

 

“I hate you.”

 

“No you don’t” Harley argued, burrowing closer under Ivy’s arm.

 

No she didn’t.

 

“We could always team up for Christmas.” Harley said in what she laughably thought was a casual tone.

 

“Won’t you be doing something with ‘Mista Jaaay’” Ivy said in her best Brooklyn drawl.

 

“I sound nothing like that.” Harley scowled. “Probably. But I’m an Independent Supervillianess. I can multi task.”

 

Ivy’s snort of laughter uncurled from her mouth in a puff of icy air. The sun had set hours ago taking the last of the autumn warmth. She should convince Harley to leave soon before they froze.

 

“Also no one loves Christmas more than me.” Harley added proudly. “I’ve been banned from every Christmas store in Gotham.”

 

“Even that crummy Christmas Warehouse on fifth?”

 

“It’s not crummy!” Harley argued. “and yes.”

 

“Hmmm, I’ll take it under consideration.” Ivy smirked.

 

“Aww, Red come-on, pweeese.” Harley wheedled.

 

“I said I’ll think about Harl.” Ivy laughed as Harley poked her gently in the ribs.

 

“It’s writes itself.” Harley insisted taking a deep breath and started to sing. “The Harley and the Ivy, when they are when they are both full grown.”

 

“Please stop.” Ivy said trying to put a hand over Harley’s mouth. What Harley severely lacked in tunefulness she made up with in enthusiasm. And volume.

 

“Of all the gals in Gotham’s hood.” She continued in-between giggles and dodging Ivy’s hand. “The Harley bears the crown.”

 

“Batman is literally 30 feet away.”

 

“It would be awesome.” Harley maintained grinning up at Ivy. “We make an awesome team. You and Me, Red.”

 

The playful words caught in Ivy’s throat at Harley’s unguarded expression. They’d been waiting for over an hour. The Joker was a no show and wasn’t coming for her. Ivy pulled Harley fuller into her arms.

 

“Yeah. You and Me, Harl.”  She pressed a kiss to the top of Harleys head, smelling her soft hair through the cowl.  “You wanna go…”

 

The moment was interrupted by a squeal of tire tracks. A voluminous monstrosity of a vehicle, a clown car in every sense of the word, barrelled into view. Harley jumped to life at the sound.

 

“Puddin’” She yelled as she hastily climbed down, “Yo-hoo!”

 

From the ground she waved a jaunty goodbye to Ivy, “I’ll call you. Thanks for the rescue Pam.”  

 

“Anytime Harl.” Ivy promised with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. With a last kiss blown over her shoulder, Harley skipped away.

 

Ivy shook her head with a sad smile.

 

The next night found a delivery box wrapped in lurid bows and paper left on the porch of her house. Recognizing the child-like hand writing on the label Ivy gently carried it inside. Nestled in tissue paper and green glitter was a snow globe.

 

The nicest way to describe it was.. well tacky. A tiny snow man was inside an inadequate amount of water. It had already become un attached and was floating lethargically with a handful of plastic snowflakes.   Even without the tag from Christmas Warehouse Ivy would recognize the craftsmanship.

 

Ivy turned the key at the bottom of the base already knowing she would hear. Sure enough the tune that had been stuck in her head all day emanated from the little plastic trinket. Humming to herself she ran her fingers over the roses on her desk. The little blooms opened up towards her fingers. Ivy smiled.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> I did not mean to write this. I SHOULD be writing the next chapter of my sunny fic but here we are. I was washing windows for various reasons today and my mind came up with this.
> 
> I apologize.
> 
> title from Tori Amos' Holly, Ivy and Rose
> 
> all comment &tc. are much appreciated.
> 
> (I'm at http://pigeonstatueconundrum.tumblr.com/ if you want ot say hello)


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